Our History
To live the American Dream. With passion, perseverance and hard work. countless Filipino immigrants have achieved the American dream. But living the dream far from the Philippine shores came not without challenges. Bouts of homesickness proved to be the harshest of all struggles to Filipinos who are known to put their family first above all else. Memories of days spent and meals shared with family and friends made them yearn more for the life they left behind in the Philippines.
Despite this, they faced the journey head on, driven by the promise of a better life. To overcome their homesickness, they sought comfort in food that could bring back pleasant memories. Even the most humble of meals shared with family was reminisced with joy. Oftentimes, the result was an overwhelming desire to recreate their fondly remembered dishes. However, the lack of access to Filipino ingredients would stop them from doing so, feeding more into the feeling of homesickness.
Finally, a Supermarket with Deep Cultural Roots
In March of 1989, the first Seafood City opened in National City San Diego with the promise of filling the void in the lives of Filipino immigrants. Finally, a place where they could find specialty ingredients, fresh produce, house ware and everything they needed to relive the traditions and cuisine that make them Filipino.
The supermarket unlocked the true tastes of home and the Filipino community embraced it with great fervor that soon after, the first store gave birth to more across North America. For the first time, Filipino immigrants in the US and Canada have found a place where they could celebrate true Filipino goodness.
In over three decades, Seafood City has grown from one store to over 30 across North America, making it a part of the fabric of Filipino communities in America and Canada. Filipino immigrants are now cooking and serving their families with dishes they grew up with and accustoming their children with the flavors of home, thus preserving their cultural heritage. They are celebrating it too by sharing their meals with non-Filipinos, increasing the demand and fondness for our food, making it more familiar to the western palate.
Seafood City has come a long way from its humble beginnings to becoming the premier Filipino supermarket chain in North America. It vows to open more stores to serve more Filipino immigrants who continue to seek the American dream and the feeling of being home.
